"Regal Musical Instrument Company The Regal Musical Instrument Company was established in 1908 in Chicago. By the 1930s, they were one of the largest manufacturers of musical instruments in the world. Regal specialised in: Regal was heavily involved in the production of resonator fretted instruments from their first development until 1941, manufacturing components and bodies for both the National String Instrument Corporation and the Dobro Manufacturing Company and producing whole instruments which sold under many brand names including ""Dobro"". The bodies of their Laminated bellied guitars were particularly suited to resonator conversion. Production of resonator guitars ceased in 1941, and"
"Smothers Brothers The Smothers Brothers are Thomas (""Tom"" – born February 2, 1937) and Richard (""Dick"" – born November 20, 1939), American folk singers, musicians, and comedians. The brothers' trademark double act was performing folk songs (Tommy on acoustic guitar, Dick on string bass), which usually led to arguments between the siblings. Tommy's signature line was, ""Mom always liked you best!"" Tommy (the elder of the two) acted ""slow"", and Dick, the straight man, acted ""superior"". In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the brothers frequently appeared on television variety shows and issued several popular record albums of their stage"
"Tom Smothers Thomas Bolyn Smothers III (born February 2, 1937) is an American comedian, composer and musician, best known as half of the musical comedy duo the Smothers Brothers, alongside his younger brother Dick. Smothers was born in 1937 at the Fort Jay army post hospital on Governors Island in New York City, the son of Ruth (""née"" Remick), a homemaker; and Major Thomas B. Smothers, an army officer who died a POW in April 1945. After moving to California, he graduated from Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, California. He was a competitive unicyclist, and a state champion"
"Dick Smothers Richard Remick ""Dick"" Smothers (born November 20, 1939) is an American actor, comedian, composer and musician. He is best known for being half of the musical comedy team the Smothers Brothers, with his older brother Tom. Smothers was born in New York City in 1939, the son of Ruth (""née"" Remick), a homemaker; and Thomas B. Smothers, an Army officer who died as a prisoner of war (P.O.W.) in April 1945. After moving to Southern California, Dick attended Verdugo Hills High School in Tujunga, California, and graduated from Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, California, and later"
"Thomas Bolyn Smothers IV (Tom Jr.), from his first marriage, and one grandson, Phoenix Parrish-Smothers. There is a Smothers sisterSherryborn September 1941, in Pasadena, California. Tom Smothers Thomas Bolyn Smothers III (born February 2, 1937) is an American comedian, composer and musician, best known as half of the musical comedy duo the Smothers Brothers, alongside his younger brother Dick. Smothers was born in 1937 at the Fort Jay army post hospital on Governors Island in New York City, the son of Ruth (""née"" Remick), a homemaker; and Major Thomas B. Smothers, an army officer who died a POW in April"
"The Smothers Brothers Play It Straight The Smothers Brothers Play It Straight was the ninth album by the Smothers Brothers (released February 15, 1966 on Mercury Records). As the title indicates, the folk comedy duo were singing the songs ""straight"" (well, ""Almost""). Like the B-side of their second album, ""Two Sides of the Smothers Brothers"", the recording was done in a studio instead of on stage. The album cover shows Tom standing with his guitar and Dick sitting on a stool with his bass lying behind him. There is also a chicken eating chicken-feed, which could be a representation of"
"Nobody."" Later in his life, Smothers suffered from heart disease. He died in Chicago at the age of 64, in July 1993. He was survived by his wife, Earline Smothers, and by their sons and daughters, his five brothers and sisters, and his extended family. His daughter is in the process of bringing the life stories of Smothers and his younger brother Abe (Little Smokey Smothers) to the big screen. Otis ""Big Smokey"" Smothers Otis ""Big Smokey"" Smothers (March 21, 1929 – July 23, 1993) was an African-American Chicago blues guitarist and singer. He was a member of Howlin' Wolf's"
"The Two Sides of the Smothers Brothers The Two Sides of the Smothers Brothers (released September 1, 1962 on Mercury Records) was the second comedy album by the Smothers Brothers. Side A (tracks 1-6) consisted of comedy and was recorded at The Crystal Palace in St. Louis during a live performance. Side B (tracks 7-12) was recorded at the Bell Sound Studio in New York City with a full orchestra and represented the singing side of the boys. It reached number 26 on the ""Billboard"" Pop Albums chart. According to the liner notes to their compilation album """", ""The Two"
"Dick Smothers Jr. Dick Smothers Jr. (born April 26, 1964) is an American former pornographic actor. He is the eldest of three children born to comedian Dick Smothers and his first wife, Linda. Smothers had tried to break into show business as a musician for a long time. When he was younger, he was a reader of science fiction and collected comic books. Smothers was the lead singer and bassist for the heavy metal band Kamikaze, a top draw in Northern California rock clubs in the mid-eighties. In 1988, Kamikaze made an appearance on a short-lived revival of the Smothers"
"Frank, Tom's wagon pulling chicken who is discussed on ""Mom Always Liked You Best!"". The Smothers Brothers Play It Straight The Smothers Brothers Play It Straight was the ninth album by the Smothers Brothers (released February 15, 1966 on Mercury Records). As the title indicates, the folk comedy duo were singing the songs ""straight"" (well, ""Almost""). Like the B-side of their second album, ""Two Sides of the Smothers Brothers"", the recording was done in a studio instead of on stage. The album cover shows Tom standing with his guitar and Dick sitting on a stool with his bass lying behind"
"as not being compatible with the brothers' strengths (in fact, he fought with Four Star executives over more creative control of the series, earning an ulcer and irritating his marital relationship to the point of divorce at the end of the season). For instance, neither brother played their instruments on the show (with one exception, at the beginning of ""'Twas The Week Before Christmas"" episode), and it was not until halfway through the season that they sang the theme song. The Smothers Brothers Show The Smothers Brothers Show is an American fantasy sitcom featuring the Smothers Brothers that aired on"
"The Smothers Brothers at the Purple Onion The Smothers Brothers at the Purple Onion, released May 1, 1961 on Mercury Records, was the first album released by the Smothers Brothers and established their reputation as folk music satirists. The Purple Onion was a celebrated comedy and music club in the North Beach area of San Francisco that launched the careers of the Kingston Trio and Phyllis Diller in addition to the Smothers Brothers. The album's full cover text is: The Songs and Comedy of the Smothers Brothers! Recorded at the Purple Onion, San Francisco, and is Mercury catalog number MG"
"Sides of the Smothers Brothers"" was the best selling album of their career. It spent sixty-six weeks on the Billboard album chart, and peaked at #26. According to the book ""Dangerously Funny"", the album dedicated one side to straight music because the duo hadn't yet developed enough new comedy material after having put the entirety of their original act on their first album, ""The Smothers Brothers at the Purple Onion."" The Two Sides of the Smothers Brothers The Two Sides of the Smothers Brothers (released September 1, 1962 on Mercury Records) was the second comedy album by the Smothers Brothers."
"his surviving brother Neil. Bryant's Minstrels Bryant's Minstrels was a blackface minstrel troupe that performed in the mid-19th century, primarily in New York City. The troupe was led by the O'Neill brothers from upstate New York, who took the stage name Bryant. The eldest brother Jerry, a veteran of the Ethiopian Serenaders, Campbell's Minstrels, E.P. Christy's Minstrels and other troupes, sang and played tambourine and bones. Dan Bryant, who had toured with Losee's Minstrels, the Sable Harmonists and Campbell's Minstrels, sang and played banjo. Neil (Cornelius) Bryant played accordion and flutina. Other members, including English-born fiddler Phil Isaacs, rounded out"
"Brothers' television series on CBS. Smothers also contributed an oration to the instrumental rock/progressive metal band Planet X, on ""The Rise of Pompocles"", an introduction to the song ""King of the Universe"" on their 2000 album ""Universe"". In 2003, Smothers made his feature film debut in ""Bad Influence"", a parody of ""The Graduate"". His father, Dick Smothers Sr. recounted in a 2003 interview that ""My first reaction was, 'What name are you going to use?' ... He says he's going to use his name, and I said, 'Wait a minute. That's my name. I had it first.'"" While Smothers Sr."
"upon producing Nilsson's next album, much to Nilsson's delight. However, their time together in California became known much more for heavy drinking than it did for musical collaboration. In a widely publicized incident, the two were ejected from the Troubadour nightclub in West Hollywood for drunken heckling of the Smothers Brothers. To make matters worse, at a late night party and jam session during the recording of the album, attended by Lennon, McCartney, Danny Kortchmar, and other musicians, Nilsson ruptured a vocal cord, but he hid the injury for fear that Lennon would call a halt to the production. The"
"Brecker Brothers Brecker Brothers was the jazz duo of Michael Brecker and Randy Brecker. Michael played saxophone, flute, and EWI, and Randy played trumpet and flugelhorn. Randy, the older brother, became famous as an original member of the group Blood, Sweat & Tears. He appeared on their debut album ""Child Is Father to the Man"" in 1968. The brothers frequently played together as session musicians on albums by other artists. They were heard on Todd Rundgren's hit ""Hello It's Me"", which reached No. 5 on the ""Billboard"" Hot 100 chart in 1973. Other notable appearances include Parliament's ""Mothership Connection"" and"
"to Chicago in 1946. His debut performance on stage was with Johnny Williams and Johnny ""Man"" Young. In the early part of the 1950s, Smothers played alongside his cousin Lester Davenport and with Arthur ""Big Boy"" Spires, Earl Hooker, Henry Strong, and Bo Diddley. In 1956 and 1957, Howlin' Wolf invited Smothers to play as his rhythm guitarist on several tracks recorded for Chess Records, including ""Who's Been Talking"", ""Tell Me"", ""Change My Way"", ""Goin' Back Home"", ""The Natchez Burning"", and ""I Asked for Water"". Smothers secured a recording contract with Federal Records in August 1960. His album ""Smokey Smothers"
"San Francisco City College, Paulsen joined an acting group called ""The Ric-y-tic Players,"" and he formed a comedy trio that included his brother Lorin. Paulsen went on to become a solo act, appearing as a comedic guitarist in various clubs on the West Coast and in New York City. During one of his appearances in San Francisco, he met the Smothers Brothers. ""The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour"" premiered in 1967. Paulsen said he was hired because he sold them inexpensive songs and would run errands. At first, he was cast as their editorialist, and his deadpan, double-talk comments on the"
"Smothers Brothers' producer David Carroll and the comments on the back were written by Jack Benny. Mom Always Liked You Best! ""Mom Always Liked You Best!"" was the eighth comedy album by the Smothers Brothers (released August 17, 1965 on Mercury Records). It reached number 39 on the ""Billboard"" Pop Albums chart. The album was recorded at The Troubadour, Los Angeles, California, The Golden Bear, Huntington Beach, California, and the Flamingo Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. The cover photograph shows Dick surrounded by a dog, a wagon, a scooter and many other toys while Tom is sitting there with just his"
"part of their shows. Tom Smothers had created the mostly non-speaking character in the late '60s, a comedic performer of tricks using a yo-yo. The term ""Yo-Yo Man"" is registered in his name. In their 2008 tour, Yo-Yo Man was listed as the group's opening act. In 2008, during the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, Smothers was awarded a special Emmy. In 1968, when he was head writer of ""The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour"", the writing staff was awarded the Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedic Series. Smothers had refused to let his name be on the list of writers"
"Bluegrass Hall of Famer, Art Stamper, played old-time bluegrass fiddle with some of the greatest names in the business, like Ralph and Carter Stanley, Bill Monroe, Larry Sparks, the Goins Brothers, Jim and Jesse. He was also instrumental in preserving and promoting the old-time roots of bluegrass as the genre developed. Eldest brother Charlie Stamper never pursued music professionally as Art had, but he did learn the instrument first. He recently recorded his debut album at age 84. Appalshop/June Appal Records' ""Glory to the Meeting House"" consists of the first recordings ever released by Charlie. Many tunes were learned from"
"on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour that aired on 8 December 1968, the audience was unwittingly fooled to start clapping too soon, right after the false ending but way before the real ending. Bill Anderson's cover version of ""But You Know I Love You"" rose to No. 2 on the ""Billboard magazine"" Hot Country Singles chart in 1969. Country singer Dolly Parton (who, in 1983, would have the number 1 duet ""Islands In The Stream"" with Rogers) in 1980 included ""But You Know I Love You"", based on the occupation of on-the-road singer, on her album ""9 to 5 and"
"(the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour) and many national commercials. He now lives in Arizona and continues to compose for symphony orchestras. In 1980, a compilation of some of the First Edition's greatest hits and album cuts, titled ""Shine On"", was issued in the United Kingdom; it sold fairly well but was overshadowed by The Kenny Rogers Singles Album, a Kenny Rogers solo greatest hits collection that, in addition to his solo hits, featured reworkings of the group's best known songs. Currently there are many compilations of their work in print on various labels, some miscredited to Kenny alone with picture"
"fingers were too big, he switched to the cello at the age of 12. After graduating from South Philadelphia High School, he enrolled in the Curtis Institute of Music. While he missed his first tour with the school orchestra because he was completing his studies, that was the only tour he missed until he retired from the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1985. His brother, Sam, was also a graduate of Curtis and a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra, playing in their bass section. Gorodetzer is the grandfather of psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman. Harry Gorodetzer Harry Gorodetzer (1914–2002) was a cellist for"
"performances. Their own television variety show, ""The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour"", became one of the most controversial American TV programs of the Vietnam War era. Despite popular success, the brothers' penchant for material that was critical of the political mainstream and sympathetic to the emerging counterculture led to their firing by the CBS network in 1969. One show was left unaired. The brothers continued to work, both independently and as a team, on stage and television, and in films during subsequent decades. The brothers were both born on Governors Island in New York Harbor, where their father, Thomas B. Smothers,"
"The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was an American comedy and variety show television series hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969. The series was a major success, especially considering it was scheduled against the major NBC television series ""Bonanza"", with content that appealed to contemporary youth viewership with daring political satire humor and major music acts such as Buffalo Springfield, Pete Seeger, Cream, and The Who. Despite this success, continual conflicts with network executives over content led to the show being abruptly pulled from the schedule in violation"
"the Smothers Brothers. Lennon decided to produce Nilsson's album ""Pussy Cats"", and Pang rented a Los Angeles beach house for all the musicians. After a month of further debauchery, the recording sessions were in chaos, and Lennon returned to New York with Pang to finish work on the album. In April, Lennon had produced the Mick Jagger song ""Too Many Cooks (Spoil the Soup)"" which was, for contractual reasons, to remain unreleased for more than 30 years. Pang supplied the recording for its eventual inclusion on ""The Very Best of Mick Jagger"" (2007). Lennon had settled back in New York"
"Mom Always Liked You Best! ""Mom Always Liked You Best!"" was the eighth comedy album by the Smothers Brothers (released August 17, 1965 on Mercury Records). It reached number 39 on the ""Billboard"" Pop Albums chart. The album was recorded at The Troubadour, Los Angeles, California, The Golden Bear, Huntington Beach, California, and the Flamingo Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. The cover photograph shows Dick surrounded by a dog, a wagon, a scooter and many other toys while Tom is sitting there with just his chicken, Frank, thereby justifying the title as a word balloon. The album is dedicated to the"
"One of their popular acts of the 1960s involved the three brothers playing the violin, guitar and bass fiddle, and Mildred Seymour, their accompanist, performing a classical piece on the grand piano. Herbert would try to do a serious number on the violin but would get frustrated with his brothers' hillbilly antics. With a shrug, Herbert would stop playing and decide to balance the violin on his chin. Harry would then notice Herbert's accomplishment and would take the guitar and balance it on his chin. This left Sylvester smiling blandly at the audience, still plucking his bass fiddle. When Sylvester"
"Comedy Hour""; other television appearances followed, as did recording appearances with several major country artists. Hartford played banjo and sang the vocal harmonies on the Guthrie Thomas song, ""I'll be Lucky"". He also played with The Byrds on their album ""Sweetheart of the Rodeo"". His success on the Smothers Brothers series was enough that Hartford was offered the lead role in a TV detective series but he turned it down to move back to Nashville and concentrate on his music. He also was a regular on ""The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour"" (the banjo picker who would stand up from his"
"Houston, Texas, but because the duo was grateful to the Purple Onion for giving them their first break, the album was credited as having been recorded there. All well known songs were rewritten for satiric purposes unless otherwise indicated. Phrases in quotations are from the liner notes. The Smothers Brothers at the Purple Onion The Smothers Brothers at the Purple Onion, released May 1, 1961 on Mercury Records, was the first album released by the Smothers Brothers and established their reputation as folk music satirists. The Purple Onion was a celebrated comedy and music club in the North Beach area"
"working at circuses, and later worked in minstrel and vaudeville shows, and then on Broadway. In 1913, they added a second baritone sax. The group toured in 1912-14 with Primrose and Dockstader's Minstrels, and later to Scotland and elsewhere in Europe. Additional non-family members also played with the group. Between 1911 and 1920 the brothers recorded a number of well-known songs, including ""Walking the Dog"" and ""The Darktown Strutter's Ball"". The brothers often performed dressed in clown outfits. In 1925 the brothers toured Australia. After they broke up in 1933 only the leader, Tom Brown, continued as a musician but"